Metro Vancouver is the eviction capital of Canada, first-of-its-kind study suggests
British Columbia's most populated region holds a new undesirable title as the eviction capital of Canada.
That's according to a new study out of the University of British Columbia, which attempts to highlight the extent of the housing and affordability crisis in Metro Vancouver.
The research, published this month by Silas Xuereb with the title "Understanding Evictions in Canada through the Canadian Housing Survey," backs what many renters have been saying for years, but it's the first time a study like this has actually been conducted.
Xuereb, of UBC's Master of Arts in Economics graduate program, broke down eviction rates nationally, but also by region and demographic groups.
Supervised by UBC assistant professor Andrea Craig and Housing Research Collaborative research co-ordinator Craig Jones, Xuereb estimated 10.6 per cent of renters in B.C. have reported being evicted in a period of five years.
It's more than in any other province or territory in Canada, and far higher than the national average of 6.6 per cent.
Looking at the Vancouver area, the estimated rate was 10.5 per cent, which is significantly higher than other major cities including Toronto and Montreal.
It appears these evictions have been more heavily concentrated in the region's suburbs, including Surrey, Port Coquitlam and Maple Ridge, than in Vancouver itself and the closely surrounding cities.
According to the research, men are slightly more likely to be evicted than women.
The age group with the highest eviction rate observed was 45 to 54. According to the study, households with children are also more likely to be evicted than young adults and seniors.
Renters who identify as Indigenous, single parents and those who spend more than half of their income on housing are most at risk, according to Xuereb.
Additionally, renters whose last move was an eviction were found to have lower self-reported levels of health and mental health than others, as well as lower life satisfaction.
The research used data from the national Community Housing Survey, which was conducted in 2018, to estimate the percentage of renters who were evicted during a five-year period.
The study's author acknowledged limitations of the analysis, but said it represents "the first attempt" to estimate eviction rates by region and demographics in Canada.
He said the research is in line with what similar studies in the U.S. have found, suggesting his study could be used by policymakers even without further analysis.
Read more on the research and methodology on UBC's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.